Floyd Mayweather’s successful return to the ring after a 16-month absence was
engulfed in controversy here when he was accused of landing two illegal
blows to stop Victor Ortiz in the fourth round after being butted by his
opponent.

The final act of this absorbing World Boxing Council welterweight title fight will fall into the annals of boxing’s most debated finishes, yet the bizarre denoument merely masked the deficiencies of Ortiz, and enhanced the sublime skills Mayweather possesses.

Mayweather was accused of unsportsmanlike behaviour, yet he claimed rigourously that he had merely acted within his rights, moments after he had been headbutted viciously by Ortiz. There was the whiff of retribution in his action.

Victory saw Mayweather win back the world title and extend his unbeaten career to 42 contests, yet the manner of victory and his comportment after the fight will divide opinion across the globe. Mayweather even found himself drawn into a slanging match live on air in the immediate aftermath of the contest with the veteran interviewer Larry Merchant, which ended with the 80-year-old broadcaster telling the fighter he would have whipped him “if I was 50 years younger”.

The denouement was as dramatic as it was decisive: Mayweather, who was dominating the contest in that final round, having peppered the man ten years his junior with his right-hand lead, found himself caught on the ropes by Ortiz.

As Mayweather covered up in defence, ducking and swaying, the two fighters' heads came close together and Ortiz headbutted his opponent like a pogo-ing punk rocker. The action was both inexplicable and shocking. It was also deliberate beyond any doubt.

Related Articles

Mayweather recoiled away in shock, referee Joe Cortez deducted a point, while Ortiz went to plant a kiss on Mayweather's cheek, hugged him and apologised.

Cortez then sent Ortiz to a neutral corner. It was a singular sequence that was about to get even more bizarre.

Cortez indicated that the point had been deducted. The fighters came together in the middle of the ring. Mayweather held out his hands, to touch, and Ortiz went to embrace his rival, again apologetic.

As they moved apart, Ortiz did not have his hands up. Mayweather threw a left hook which wobbled Ortiz, who glanced at Cortez as if seeking instruction. In that same moment, Mayweather threw a hard straight right.

Ortiz went down. Cortez counted him out. There was outrage and uproar from many of the 14,687 witnesses in attendance in the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Ortiz claimed: "He blindsided me. I'm not a dirty fighter. I apologised for the headbutt. I took the break and obeyed exactly what I was told [by the referee].”

“In a sense he caught me as a payback. I spaced out. I didn’t see the punches coming. I went blank. I woke up afterwards. I didn’t hear Joe Cortez say ‘box’.”

However, Cortez explained his decision to count out the 24-year old American: “Time was ‘in’ again, and the fighter has to have his guard up. Mayweather did nothing wrong.”

It was a contest in which Mayweather looked dominant, aggressive, measured and the consummate fighter. He was dominant from the opening round. Calls for a contest between Mayweather, and his greatest rival, the Filipino Manny Pacquiao, will again gather momentum, although Britain's Amir Khan is desperately seeking his moment in the spotlight against the fighter whose career earnings have already reached the $173 million mark. Mayweather earned $40 million for his night's work against Ortiz. His net worth estimated at $90 million, Mayweather should reach career earning approaching a quarter of a billion dollars before he retires.

Mayweather said: "In the end, you have to protect yourself at all times. His trainer accused me of being dirty, and yet he [Ortiz] headbutted me. What goes around, comes around in this sport. When I'm in the square circle, I'm in my home."

The debate over the end to this fight will continue, yet the bottom line here was that Ortiz took his eye off the ball, while Mayweather kept his eye on the prize, fairly or unfairly. The longer-term argument is whether Pacquiao - or anyone in this generation including young pretenders like Khan - have the ring skills to dethrone the controversial American fighter.